HgCdTe-based bias-switchable dual-band (two-color) infrared detectors have been reported in the literature since the early 1990s. The typical device structure consists of two back-to-back infrared photodiodes, each designed to detect a particular color band. The two diodes are monolithically integrated, typically in an n-P-N(capital letters denote material layers with wider band gap) three-layer design or an n-p-P-N four-layer design. (See, e.g., J. M. Arias, et al., J. Appl. Phys. 70, 4620-4622 (1991); E. R. Blazejewski, et al., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B10, 1626-1632 (1992); and M. B. Reine, et al., J. Electron. Mater. 24, 669-679 (1995), the disclosures of each of which are incorporated herein by reference. The topic has been well documented in books and review articles. (See, e.g., A. Rogalski, Infrared Physics & Technology 41, 231-238 (2000), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.)
Recently, type-II superlattices (e.g., InAs/GaSb or InAs/GaInSb) have emerged as viable alternatives to HgCdTe for infrared detection. The performance of type-II superlattice based infrared detectors can be enhanced by using heterostructure designs such as the nBn, pBp, double heterostructure (DH), or complementary barrier infrared detector (CBIRD). (See, e.g., A. M. White, U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,063; S. Maimon and G. W. Wicks, Appl. Phys. Lett. 89(15) 151109 (2006); S. Maimon, U.S. Pat. No. 7,687,871 B2; J. L. Johnson, et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 80(2) 1116-1127 (1996); B.-M. Nguyen, et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 93(12) 123502 (2008); and D. Z.-Y. Ting, et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 95, 023508 (2009), the disclosures of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.) These device structures make use of unipolar barriers, which can block one carrier type (electron or hole) but allow the un-impeded flow of the other. Type-II superlattices have also been used in bias-switchable dual-band infrared detectors. A simple method involves the two-color nBn design, where an electron-blocking (but not hole-blocking) unipolar barrier is inserted between two n-doped infrared absorbers with different energy band gaps. Dual-band nBn detectors implemented using type-II InAs/Ga(In)Sb superlattices have been reported in the literature. (See, A. Khoshakhlagh, et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 91, 263504 (2007), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.)